ATLANTA, GA - The spread option may not necessarily prove to be the offense of the future in college football. But, hey, spread quarterbacks are two-for-two in the SEC Championship Game.

Senior James Franklin of Missouri and junior Nick Marshall of Auburn are the triggermen and their presence indicates perhaps a high-scoring and highly entertaining game.

Franklin has battled injuries for two seasons and gives his team an edge in experience while averaging 262.7 yards of total offense, fourth in the SEC. Marshall continues to engineer victories after being converted from defensive back and earning the starting job in fall camp.

"It's been amazing to watch his progress," Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said of Marshall, the former defensive back at Georgia. "You're talking about a guy, the very first game he knew 25 percent of our. He got better each week. He's unique. He's at his best when the game is on the line. He finds a way to get it done."

Franklin battled a knee injury last season that cost him three games and a shoulder injury this year that cost him another three, including the Tigers' only loss.

Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said his presence as a senior is invaluable.

"His running ability, his passing ability, but also his ability to extend a play, to run, puts a lot of pressure on the defense" Pinkel said. "Having him back, obviously he's the leader of the team. He's the guy. They believe in him. We got a great team chemistry. That's all part of it."

SUPER SIX: Since the SEC Championship Game was inaugurated and the conference expanded to 12 teams in 1992, only six schools have won the game - LSU, Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee. Missouri could be the first team outside that group to win one.

SEMPER FI: Missouri coach Gary Pinkel caught himself when referring to his defensive coordinator as an "ex-Marine." One of the corps slogans is 'Once a Marine, always a Marine'.

"He's a Marine," Pinkel said in correcting himself. "You have to watch what you say. I did that to my borther-in-law once and almost got hit."

MR. EXCITEMENT: Malzahn is known for his sideline exuberance. It's nothing wild but he does get excited in the manner of players and assistants, while most head coaches fight to remain stoic and in control.

When asked how those mannerisms play with his team, Malzahn replied, "That's who I am as a coach; I like to coach excited. Players know what they're going to get from me."

TRIPLE DOUBLE: The SEC network will debut in the 2014 football season with a Thursday night doubleheader and a Saturday tripleheader, SEC Commissioner Mike Slive said. LSU vs. Wisconsin will likely be one of the games in the tripleheader on Saturday, Aug. 30 an an ESPN platform and time to be determined.

The season will open with a doubleheader of Texas A&M at South Carolina followed by Temple at Vanderbilt.

KILLER B'S: SEC Storied, the ESPN video series that has retraced the history SEC legends such as Herschel Walker, Sam Bowie and Archie Manning's prodigious famliy (The Book of Manning), will soon have another with an Auburn flair. It's called Bo, Barkley and the Big Hurt (Frank Thomas) all former Auburn athletes who hit it big.